Build Your MDK Client

Extract the downloaded zip file on your Mac OS.

You will also find other files in the extracted folder. The README file contains information about the version requirements, dependencies and some getting started links.

MDK Dependencies Installer checks the status of the MDK dependencies and will install or upgrade the dependencies for you. Double click MDK Dependencies Installer.app file, click Open.

If you find some issues (for example: app cant be opened because the identity of the developer cannot be confirmed) while opening this file, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and click Open Anyway.

Enter Admin user password and click OK.

You may need to grant admin access via Privileges app.

The installer will list all required components for iOS and Android platform and automatically check if they are already installed in the machine. Follow the installer UI to install the components you selected.

Extract the downloaded zip file on your Windows OS.

You will also find other files in the extracted folder. The README file contains information about the version requirements, dependencies and some getting started links.

Extract MDKDependenciesInstallerWindows.zip file.

MDK Dependencies Installer checks the status of the MDK dependencies and will install or upgrade the dependencies for you. Double click MDK_Dependencies_Installer.exe file to open it.

The installer will list all required components for Android platform and automatically check if they are already installed in the machine. Follow the installer UI to install the components you selected.

If MDK Dependencies Installer keeps showing Loading... then use command MDK_Dependencies_Installer.exe –debug –debug to see more information.
There might be some issue due to Security Policy. It can be fixed by executing this in PowerShell:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope CurrentUser

To use the SDK to generate a mobile development kit client, the first step is to setup the SDK to create a client. Unzip MDKClient_SDK.zip if it is not already extracted.

From a terminal window, navigate to the [path] -> MDKClient_SDK folder and execute ./install.command. If everything is fine, you will a success message in the console followed by next steps.

Once this completes, close the window. Notice that the create-client.command file has appeared in the SDK directory.

To use the SDK to generate a mobile development kit client, the first step is to setup the SDK to create a client. Unzip MDKClient_SDK.zip if it is not already extracted.

From a command line window, navigate to the [path] -> MDKClient_SDK folder and execute install.cmd.

If everything is fine, you will a success message in the console followed by next steps.

Once this completes, close the window. Notice that the create-client.cmd file has appeared in the SDK directory.

In the MDKClient_SDK folder, you will find the template.mdkproject folder. It is recommended that you copy this folder to another location to use it for future builds and paste it anywhere want and you can rename template to whatever you want but the directory name needs to end in .mdkproject.

The idea of retaining the .mdkproject folder is so you can use it again in the future to build additional MDK clients using the same settings using a different version of the MDK SDK.

For this tutorial, I have named my .mdkproject folder demosampleapp.mdkproject and put it outside of the MDK Client folder structure. I will refer this name for the rest of this tutorial.

Next, you will need to update the BrandedSettings.json and MDKProject.json files as needed for your client. Go into the demosampleapp.mdkproject folder.

In the MDKClient_SDK folder, you will find the template.mdkproject folder. It is recommended that you copy this folder to another location to use it for future builds and paste it anywhere want and you can rename template to whatever you want but the directory name needs to end in .mdkproject.

The idea of retaining the .mdkproject folder is so you can use it again in the future to build additional MDK clients using the same settings using a different version of the MDK SDK.

For this tutorial, I have named my .mdkproject folder demosampleapp.mdkproject and put it outside of the MDK Client folder structure. I will refer this name for the rest of this tutorial.

Next, you will need to update the BrandedSettings.json and MDKProject.json files as needed for your client. Go into the demosampleapp.mdkproject folder.

You can create a client by running ./create-client.command and providing the path to a valid .mdkproject directory.

You can run the create-client cmd from any directory. The resulting MDK client will be created in the directory where the create-client cmd is run from.

You will be asked whether you would like to build for iOS or Android or All?

All option was chosen in this tutorial as you will learn how to create the MDK client for iOS and Android.

Then, you will be asked whether you would like to build for device or simulator?

device option was chosen for this tutorial.

Once the create-client.command script executed successfully, you will see Application ready message in terminal console.

You will also find your app created under the MDKClient_SDK folder.

You can create a client by running create-client.cmd and providing the path to a valid .mdkproject directory.

Once the create-client.cmd script executed successfully, you will see Application ready message in terminal console.

You will also find your app created under the MDKClient_SDK folder.

In this step, you will run the app on an android device. Attach the device to your Mac or Windows machine and run tns device android command to print a list of attached devices.

Make sure Developer option and USB debugging option is enabled in android device.

Copy the Device Identifier value for your device.

In terminal or command line window, navigate to the app name folder Demo Sample App (in MDClient_SDK path) and use tns run android --device <device identifier> command to run the MDK client on android device.

To run the MDK client on Android emulator, you need to first create the client for emulator and then use tns run android --emulator command. Before trying to launch the client on Android emulator, make sure that you have already configured a virtual device (Android Studio>AVD Manager). Otherwise, you may get error like No emulator image available for device identifier.

Once, above command gets successfully executed, you will see new MDK client up and running in Android device.

Here, you will notice that app name, detailed label text and signing button text have been updated as per changes done in step 3.

Tap START to connect MDK client to SAP Cloud Platform.

Enter Email address and password to login to SAP Cloud Platform and tap Log On to authenticate.

Tap AGREE on End User License Agreement.

Choose a passcode with at least 8 characters for unlocking the app and tap NEXT.

Confirm the passcode and tap DONE.

Since there is no app metadata deployed yet to Mobile Services, hence you will see an empty screen.

You can always interrupt running process in terminal window by pressing control + C.

To build an APK for an Android device, use tns build android --release. More information about archiving can be found in NativeScript documentation here.

In this step, you will run the app on an iOS device. Attach the device to your Mac and run tns device ios command to print a list of attached devices.

Copy the Device Identifier value for your device.

In terminal window, navigate to the app name folder Demo Sample App (in MDClient_SDK path) and use tns run ios --device <device identifier> command to run the MDK client on iOS device.

You can also run the app in Xcode. Open the project in Xcode with the command open platforms/ios/<app name>.xcworkspace, or open the workspace using the File -> Open... dialog in Xcode. Configure the application’s code signing settings, then run the application for the target device.

To run the MDK client on iOS simulator, use tns run ios --emulator command.

Once, above command gets successfully executed, you will see new MDK client up and running in your device.

Here, you will notice that app name, detailed label text and signing button text have been updated as per changes done in step 3.

Tap Start to connect MDK client to SAP Cloud Platform.

Enter Email address and password to login to SAP Cloud Platform and tap Log On to authenticate.

Tap Agree on End User License Agreement.

Choose a passcode with at least 8 characters for unlocking the app and tap Next.

Confirm the passcode and tap Done.

Since there is no app metadata deployed yet to Mobile Services, hence you will see an empty screen.

You can always interrupt running process in terminal window by pressing control + C.

To build an IPA for an iOS device, use tns build ios --for-device --release. This can also be accomplished in Xcode by opening the workspace and selecting the Archive option. More information about archiving can be found in Apple’s documentation here.